


A Crisis and A Comfort

by SomehowSleepy



Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Riz gets Penny, also everyone needs a comforting older sister figure in their life, anyways please let me project onto riz in peace, aromantic panic, questioning aro riz, the fact that riz & penny don't have their own platonic tag makes me sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:09:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27624520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomehowSleepy/pseuds/SomehowSleepy
Summary: “How do you know if someone has romantic feelings?” Penny blinks in surprise at the visibly stressed goblin standing in her doorway.“Hey Riz! Good to see you, I’m doing alright thanks.”“Hi Penny.” Without waiting for a response Riz walks straight past her into the living room, placing his ever present briefcase on the coffee table, and starts pacing circles around it. Penny sighs, she knows exactly what this is. It’d been a while since she’d been on the receiving end of it, ever since Riz got his very own adventuring party, but she knows a stumped and stressed Riz when she sees one.when the other maidens are all busy and her parents aren't home Penny plans on having a calm study day, that is before a panicking Riz shows up at her door.(it's not as dramatic as it sounds I promise)
Relationships: Riz Gukgak & Penny Luckstone
Comments: 7
Kudos: 42





	A Crisis and A Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> I would Live and Die for Penny Luckstone  
> (also this wasn't betad or anything I looked over it once for spelling errors and I'm sure there's still some in there sorry)

Penny had the perfect day planned out, all of her party members are either off with their partners or otherwise occupied, which meant no group chat blowing up to distract her from her studying. Her parents weren’t home to be checking in on her every five minutes, which she appreciates but still hopes they’ll let up on soon, there would be absolutely no distractions! ‘Heists and How They Went Wrong’’ was the hardest elective she’s taken at Aguefort so far but Penny knows if she wants to be an effective member of The Seven Maidens she needs to study the great thieves of the past. Besides most heists went wrong during the exit strategies and Penny has a particular interest in always being able to get out of a situation quickly and safely if needed. She’d do the assigned reading, take notes, organize the notes, color code the notes, then review the notes. She’d be perfectly prepared for any pop quiz the professor decided to throw their way in class. Just as Penny pulls out the textbook a familiar text tone rings on her Crystal. She sighs but checks the text anyways.

**From Detective Dragon Slayer**  
_busy?_

Penny shoots back a quick text before opening her book

**To Detective Dragon Slayer**  
_studying :-)_

But before she can even find the right page to start reading

**From Detective Dragon Slayer**  
_Can I come over_

**To Detective Dragon Slayer**  
_u ok??_

The typing bubble appears then disappears and reappears a few times before 

**From Detective Dragon Slayer**  
_Can I come over please?_

**To Detective Dragon Slayer**  
_sure_  
_r u ok Riz??_

Less than a moment later there’s a knocking at the front door, Penny rushes downstairs, Riz must’ve texted from right outside. She opens the door expecting the worst and,

“How do you know if someone has romantic feelings?” Penny blinks in surprise at the visibly stressed goblin standing in her doorway.

“Hey Riz! Good to see you, I’m doing alright thanks.”

“Hi Penny.” Without waiting for a response Riz walks straight past her into the living room, placing his ever present briefcase on the coffee table, and starts pacing circles around it. Penny sighs, she knows exactly what this is. It’d been a while since she’d been on the receiving end of it, ever since Riz got his very own adventuring party, but she knows a stumped and stressed Riz when she sees one.

“Mom still doesn’t keep any coffee in the house.” closing the door behind her Penny walks towards her impromptu visitor who’s now started muttering to himself, as expected Riz just points at the briefcase and continues on with his pacing. As she goes to open the briefcase she rolls her eyes fondly at the little embossed T.B, it’s easy enough to locate the little packs of instant coffee even in the fancy Briefcase Of Holding Fabian had gifted Riz. She grabs a packet out of one of the little pockets and heads to the kitchen certain that Riz can keep himself busy in the meantime.

She lets out a deep sigh as she steps into the kitchen, immediately going to fill the kettle to start boiling some water. It’s never a bother helping Riz through whatever new mystery he’d gotten stuck on, Penny actually considers herself quite the sleuth, nowhere near as much as Riz but she’s still always up for a good non life threatening mystery. Her interest in mysteries and sleuthing It was probably why Mrs. Gukgak had reached out to Penny to babysit Riz in the first place. She was only a few years older than Riz which honestly worried Penny at first, she’d only ever babysat actual babies and toddlers before Riz and wasn’t really sure what’d she do essentially hanging out with someone from her own peer group all day. Still, Penny accepted the job and to her surprise she was kept plenty busy when she turned around for one second and the kid she was meant to be keeping an eye on was completely gone. She noticed the open window first and thought he must’ve gone out the fire escape to go upto the roof at first but it was too obvious and even after knowing only him for maybe an hour she knew Riz wouldn’t be so transparent, so with a quick investigation check she noticed the deadbolt on the door was unlatched even though she remembered making sure to latch it as per Mrs. Gukgak’s instructions. She remembers panicking about how she lost Riz on her FIRST day of babysitting him and then immediately running out to try and find him.

It took her a moment but she managed to calm down enough to realize there’d be no way she’d be able to catch up to him at the rate she was going, so she went back to the apartment to try and find clues as to where he could’ve gone. She managed to piece together where he went with the little she knew about the kid and the few things she realized were missing from the apartment (his battered old briefcase and a few folders from the messy kitchen table), and she ran as fast as she could to the police station.

By the time she figured it out and ran there it was almost dark and she was in full panic mode but still she still hesitated on the steps of the station. She hadn’t exactly planned what to do from there, what if she was wrong? What if Riz hadn’t run off to follow his mom to work, What if she walks into the police station and Riz is nowhere to be found, what if she has to tell Mrs. Gukgak to her face that Penny had LOST HER KID. Luckily she didn’t need to find out the answer to any of those what ifs since a moment later a tall dragonborn officer walked out the front doors practically dragging a fuming and familiar little goblin out of the station.

“Listen kid you can’t keep doing this, your mom is out making th-”

“Riz!” Penny ran straight for him with a hug, the officer was startled into letting him go and she inadvertently ended up tackling Riz to the ground with the hug. He was obviously shocked even as Penny stood up pulling Riz up in the process. She took one look at the officer’s bewildered frown and decided to take advantage of his confusion. “Gosh Riz! I told you to wait up for me, you walk way too fast for me to keep up!” Riz only gave her a questioning look in return, then flinched when the officer cleared his throat. Penny looked up in fake surprise as if she just noticed the officer for the first time.

“You uh, you know this girl Riz?”

“Yeah, she’s the new babysitter?” Riz sounded slightly unsure and was looking between Penny and the officer.

“Yeah?” The dragonborn asked, obviously skeptical.

“Yep!” Penny replied cheerfully with her best Polite Young Woman smile, “I’m Penny Luckstone, I’m keeping an eye on Riz here, you can ask Mrs. Gu- er Officer Gukgak if you’d like! Whenever she’s available, no need to bother her if she’s busy though.” Penny kept her smile perfectly polite and casual.

“You lost track of him.” The officer stated dryly, and when Riz’s expression twisted into something deeply offended and he opened his mouth to respond Penny pinched his arm hard enough to shut up while keeping the smile up with practiced ease.  
“Well we both went for a walk and I really underestimated how fast Riz was, so I turned to grab something out of my bag for just a second and next thing I knew we were separated! Luckily Riz is a smart one,” she pats Riz’s head and he barely manages to cover his grumble of protest with a cough, “so I knew he’d go somewhere safe knowing I’d be looking for him, so that’s how we ended up here!” The officer looked intensely at Penny, then at Riz. It was obvious he didn’t really believe the story, but luckily everything Penny had said was at least a half truth which meant she passed the officer’s insight check easily and was able to say a polite goodbye to the officer before starting the walk back to Riz’s home silently, making sure to kept him in her peripheral view the entire time. Eventually Riz spoke up, one of the first times he said anything to her voluntarily.

“Why’d you lie?” Riz’s voice was carefully neutral.

“I didn’t.” Penny’s was cheerful, though she felt anything but.  
“You did, you said-”

“I never lied. I said enough of what happened to keep us out of trouble. At least until your mom finds out.” They fell back into silence after that, or partial silence at least. Penny could’ve sworn she could hear Riz’s brain still working through the events that had just transpired. When they finally reached the apartment building Sklonda Gukgak was waiting there, leaned up against her police car that was parked by the curb. Penny’s heart sank as she saw the displeased look on Mrs. Gukgak’s face.

“Guess she found out.” Penny said at the same time that Riz said, “You won’t get in trouble.” Penny looked at him straight on since starting the walk back. He had a determined look on his face as he stared back at his mother who’d noticed them at this point. He let out a little huff, adjusted the newsboy hat on his head and nodded once at Penny.

“I probably will but you won’t, don’t worry. I’ll see you later.” With that Riz stalked over to his mom, Penny would’ve laughed at how serious he looked if she wasn’t so sure she was going to get a stern talking to soon. Not in the mood for that at the moment Penny slipped away and resigned to no longer having the option of babysitting as a way to earn money and save up for that new model of crystal she wanted to buy. But as it turned out Penny was the first and only babysitter who’d managed to find Riz before he got himself into any real trouble, and Mrs. Gukgak called Penny the very next day to ask when she was available to babysit Riz again, and the rest was history. She became Riz’s regular babysitter and they grew close over the years. Riz still holds firm in saying that Penny was his first ever friend even when his new friends tease him for it. Penny misses getting to hang out with him regularly but she is happy to see him with his very own adventuring party even if she worries for him from time to time.

The high pitched whine of the kettle boiling brings Penny back to the present. Riz in the living room pacing a hole in the carpet, muttering about something to do with romance, probably working himself up over something completely solvable. Carefully Penny takes the kettle off the heat before emptying the packet of instant coffee into a mug and pouring water over it, she grabs a spoon out of the drawer then double checking to make sure Riz is still pacing in the other room she adds two spoonfuls of sugar and stirs it in. Riz likes to pretend he likes his coffee black but Penny knows he only does it for the “cold hard detective” vibes, but she knows he sneaks a few spoonfuls of sugar if he thinks noone is looking. She tosses the spoon in the sink to wash later and heads back out to where Riz has taken a moment from pacing to stare fiercely at an empty spot on the wall as if he just stared at it hard enough he’d solve his mystery.

“Coffee” Penny offers after a moment of waiting to see if the smell would pull Riz out of his staring. He instantly perks up at the word and walks towards Penny only for her to hold it away from him, “Sit, no coffee and pacing you know what happened last time.” Penny points to the couch and gives Riz the look that means she won’t compromise on this. She sees Riz roll his eyes before dejectedly walking to the couch and making a show of dramatically flopping into a seat. Penny nods and hands him the coffee before sitting criss cross next to him on the couch, letting the comfortable silence pass as Riz takes his first sip.

“I can pace and drink safely.” is the first thing Riz mumbles looking down into his mug.

“There’s a stain on my bedroom carpet that says otherwise.” She smiles, Riz doesn’t look up.

“That wasn’t the pacing, it was the gesturing.” normally this kind of interaction would be normal for the two, only Riz was usually far more animated and snippy, normally when he’d come to Penny with a mystery he couldn’t solve he’d be vibrating with manic energy, almost always on the edge of an anxiety attack, even if he didn’t want to acknowledge that’s what they were. Penny expected Riz to be up and pacing again before his second sip but it’s like when he sat down and forced himself to stop moving all the energy and urgency drained out of him. Penny watches him take another sip before nudging him gently with her foot.

“Riz, what’s up?” All she gets in response is a shrug and Riz bringing his knees to his chest curling up with the coffee between both hands. “What was it you wanted to know about romance?” Penny prompts now completely baffled and somewhat concerned at Riz’s demeanor. He shrugs again before responding.

“Nothing. I don’t need to know anything I just…” He shakes his head a bit, frowning at the coffee he’s still staring at, “It’s probably dumb.” and that’s what clued Penny into the fact that Riz wasn’t panicking about not being able to solve a new case or mystery, he was panicking about being the mystery he couldn’t solve.

“I bet it’s not.” Penny says gently before scooting closer to Riz so they’re side to side, shoulder to shoulder. Penny remembers how before Riz was comfortable with her he had trouble with eye contact and they’d have entire conversations without looking at each other. He’d come a long way since being the awkward unconfident middle schooler she first started babysitting but she figures it couldn’t hurt to ease some pressure off him. “Is it about a case?” She asks even though she knows the answer, anything to get him talking.

“Yes.” A pause, “No?” Penny feels him curl into himself even more, “It helps me to think of it that way.” Penny waits for him to say more but after a long stretch of silence she nudges him again, with her shoulder this time.

“So what’s the mystery that needs solving Detective Gukgak?” Riz doesn’t respond, “Are you trying to figure out if someone has romantic feelings for you?”

“No.” The response is immediate and sharp, out of the corner of her eye Penny sees Riz’s grip on the mug tighten.

“Then if someone has romantic feelings for someone else?” She pauses, no response, she’s gotten closer to the truth then. “Is the someone-”

“It’s stupid, just forget it.” Riz cuts her off, he doesn’t move to get up and his tone tells Penny that he’s frustrated more at himself than he is at her.

“Riz,” she keeps her voice calm and even, hopefully a comforting presence during whatever cris Riz is currently experiencing. “I just wanna help.” Riz sighs and some of the tension leaves him but judging by how he starts bouncing his leg the release of tension isn’t from relief.

“I know you do, I know. That’s why I came to you, and I mean it’s not like I could go to any of the others about this. Fig would jump to her own conclusions right away, I doubt Gorgug’s parents have a binder on this, Adaine might get it but she’s been so happy bonding with aelwyn that I don’t want to bother her, and Fabian-” Riz cuts himself off with a shake of his head and takes a long drink of coffee, “Kristen might know what’s going on with whatever this is but I don’t think I could handle any rainbow confetti or congratulatory hugs before I even understand what this is.” Penny thinks she hides her shock at realizing that Riz might be having a sexuality crisis pretty well, it helps that Riz probably isn’t looking at her face.

“So you’re confused about your sexuality?” Penny asks then immediately regrets it when all of Riz’s energy comes back full force and he all but leaps off the couch.

“No!” He throws his hands in the air nearly spilling the contents of his mug. “It’s not my sexuality! I’m pretty indifferent to-”

“Coffee.” Penny interrupts holding out her hand before Riz can make another expressive gesture while forgetting about what he’s holding. Riz hands her the mug then finishes his thought without breaking stride.

“sex. Maybe I’m ace, maybe I’m not! Maybe I’m just a late bloomer like my dad said, who knows but my sexuality isn’t what’s bothering me so much as my… my…” he throws his hands up and turns to face Penny, “whatever my _thing_ with romance is.” There’s a moment of silence where Riz is just standing in front of Penny balling his hands up into fists to stop them from shaking. Penny holds the mug out to him and after a deep breath he sighs and takes the mug back, staying standing while he drinks.

“So when you asked about how to tell if someone had romantic feelings you meant you?” Penny starts cautiously, Riz nods and looks away, “And you literally meant, any romantic feelings in general?” Riz shrugs but Penny takes it as an affirmative, she nods and looks down in thought trying to figure out what to say next when Riz speaks up.

“It’s hard to prove the absence of something, but…” Riz’s hands start shaking around the coffee mug, “Wouldn’t it have happened by now if it was going to happen?”

“Romantic feelings?” Riz nods, Penny frowns and opens her mouth to respond but Riz holds out his coffee to her and starts pacing and talking himself through it as soon as she takes his cup.

“I’d imagine it’d have happened by now right? I’m in high school, literally all of my friends have romance partners-” Penny wonders why he shudders at those words, “Partners, just partners. They’ve had or have partners, well other than Adaine but she just doesn’t really seem interested in them meanwhile I… I think I am?” Riz stops pacing with his back turned to Penny.

“Interested in having a romantic partner?” Penny asks, trying to get clarification, Riz nods and wraps his arms around himself.

“Or at least I think I am. I like the idea of it at least. Of having someone who,” he shrugs again and sighs, “Someone I’m completely comfortable with, someone who thinks I’m important, and who won’t… forget about me just because they found someone else more important?” He sits on the edge of the coffee table, Penny can see the tension in his back.

“Y’know, I don’t think any of that is exclusive to a romantic partner.” Penny leans back into the couch, knowing it’s best to give Riz physical distance when he’s like this.

“The last part is.” and Riz sounds so resigned and so heartbroken that Penny wants to go over and scoop him up in a big hug. Instead she moves from sitting on the couch to joining Riz on the coffee table. She sits on the opposite side and he back is to him, but the table creaks a bit so she at least knows that Riz knows she’s there with him.

“I know for a fact it’s not.” She hears Riz scoff and continues before he can say anything, “If you think I’d ever forget about you, or I could even find anyone ‘more important’,” she hopes the air quotes are audible, “you’re dumber than you look Gukgak.”

“Come one Penny don’t...” He trails off and Penny wants to nudge him into continuing but she wraps her hands around the coffee mug and squeezes instead. She makes a mental note to invest in some stress balls for whatever next big emotional conversation she’s a part of.

“What?” She prompts him

“Penny,” he sighs as if he’s tired of explaining this even though this entire conversation is completely new to them both, “Once you get a partner-” Penny cuts off that train of thought right away.

“She’ll have to get along with my weird little brother or else I’m pretty sure it won’t work out.” that’s met with silence, “That’s you Gukgak.” she says in case it wasn’t clear. Penny talks about how Riz is like a little brother to her constantly. She’s not shy about it, she’s proud to get to be friends with Riz, her personal saviour and one of the people who saved the whole world. Twice! But before all that, Riz was the awkward kid who slowly opened up to her over years of babysitting, who threw himself under the bust to make sure his mom wouldn’t get mad at her, and who treated life like a mystery worth solving. Penny knew Riz was going to do crazy amazing things with his life, and she worried for him. She worries about him now, and gets protective of him, she’d be lying if she said she didn’t hold a bit of a grudge against Fabian for how much of a dick he was to Riz in freshman year. At least she’d heard he was a dick from Sam, but they seemed to be close friends now and Riz never smiled more than when he was joking around with Fabian so that surge of sisterly protectiveness was appeased somewhat. But that was the point wasn’t it. Penny loved Riz like a brother and she’s only realizing now she hasn’t been very expressive about that to him directly. That might’ve been the first time she ever referred to Riz as her little brother to his face. She feels Riz lean into her so they’re back to back, and hears a sniff.

“Thanks.” Riz’s voice is watery and Penny nods.

“I’m sorry I can’t help you figure out your romantic crisis Riz, but I can help you remember that you’re not going to be forgotten any time soon.” She hears Riz sniffle again, “But hey that doesn’t mean we’re giving up on figuring out the curious case of Riz’s romantic orientation!”

“Oh godex” Riz says amused but still a little watery.

“Don’t worry, Detective Gukgaka and Luckstone are on the case!” Penny puts on the overly cheerful voice she knows Riz loves to roll his eyes at.

“You’d make a terrible detective.” He says flatly, but she just laughs.

“Yeah I’m more of the femme fatale who walks into your office, legs for days and up to no good.” She puts on a dramatic voice like one of the narrators in the Noir films Riz pretends to dislike for how unrealistic they are.

“Gross!” He pushes off the coffee table and Penny follows suit, laughing at his exaggerated reaction. He turns and smiles at Penny, his eyes still a little watery and Penny feels that surge of protectiveness again.

“But seriously Riz, we’ll figure it out, I won’t leave you hanging.” Penny feels determined, she’s already planning on asking Jawbone about how romantic attraction plays into sexuality, all without mentioning Riz of course.

“I know. Thanks.” Riz smiles at her and she opens her arms in an open invitation for a hug. Riz walks towards her and she pulls him in as soon as he’s within arm’s reach squishing him as tight as she can. He doesn’t really return the hug in the traditional sense but him not struggling to get out of the hug has always been his way of showing physical affection which never bothered her.

“Ok come on,” Once she pulled away from the hug she wrapped an arm around his shoulder and started leading Riz towards the stairs.

“What? Where are we going?” Riz asked while following.

“We haven’t had a movie night since the end of freshman year. My turn to pick, we’re watching Warlock Of Oz!” Penny feels Riz slouch as they walk.

“You always pick that movie, and I always fall asleep watching it.” Penny smiles and pats Riz’s head.

“I know, you need a nap and I can study while keeping an eye on you, it’s a win win.” Penny smiles at Riz’s stifled laughter turned sigh and heads back upstairs with Riz in tow. It may not be the study day she planned but she thinks a combination movie night study session with her little brother is far better than anything she had planned.


End file.
